Creative Comfort Food at Splice Restobar

Splice Restobar is the newest addition to the emerging foodie and nightlife hub that is the Greenfield District, a casual restaurant serving up affordable and delicious Filipino-European comfort food. Situated at The Portal (beside Starbucks), Splice boasts of bright modern interiors that could—admittedly—intimidate some passersby at first glance—but wait until you peek into its menu!

With everything priced below PhP300, Splice seeks to entice the yuppies and the night owls around the vicinity with its well-curated selection of appetizers, pasta dishes, and mains. At the helm of the kitchen is Chef Ivory Yat, a finalist of the TV show Master Chef Philippines. As her first restaurant venture, she wholeheartedly brings to the table her experience and creativity by crafting dishes that are familiar yet inventive.

Case in point: the Angus Beef Tapa Poutine (PhP220). Thick-cut fries topped generously with cheese sauce, herb gravy, and bits of Angus beef. This was far from traditional poutine, but it works—one tasty appetizer, in fact. The California Crab Meat Salad was just as appetizing: here, chopped avocado was arranged like tartare, topped with a creamy combination of crab meat and mayo, then finished off with crispy potato chips. Some greens, mangoes, and aioli complete the pretty plate. I loved how light and delish this salad was.

Left: Angus Beef Tapa Poutine; right: California Crab Meat Salad

The Danggit and Chicken Skin Carbonara (PhP270) was an instant favorite. Made the traditional way (with egg), it uses crispy danggit and chicken skin in place of bacon—an interesting twist that, in my opinion, worked wonderfully. If fish-flavored pasta dishes repulse you, this one won’t. No stench, no lansa. (Oh now I’m craving and I want to make some Spanish sardines and feta cheese pasta! OMG, stop.)

Burgers reveal their “sweet“ and “cute” side with Chef Ivory’s renditions: using homemade doughnuts instead of regular buns! The Lisa Burger (PhP220) is a perfect marriage of sweet and savory: honey Dijon mustard dressing and barbecue sauce top the patty, while a caramel drizzle licks the doughnut bun. The Bartholomew (PhP220), on the other hand, has tart coleslaw, jalapeno, and a thick cheese sauce.

left: The Lisa Burger; right: The Bartholomew

I’m not a fan of chicken wings, but I have to confess that after my first bite of Splice’s Sriracha Butter Wings (PhP270), I knew there was no way I was settling for Bon Chon (and the like) ever again (not that I settle, hah)! I had to hoard the platter and I refused to share. The coating was rich, tangy, and spicy, the heat intensified even more by the Sriracha drizzle. The crisp wasn’t coming from the breading or skin or whatever shit other versions have, but seems to come from the entire thing itself—fuck, how do I describe this—and when you bite into it, the thing doesn’t crumble or send food all over the table (I don’t like it when that happens). OK, I’ve gone past my 60 words per dish limit so please just order this when you go to Splice!

photo credit: Splice Restobar

The Alcoholic Barbecued Wings (PhP220) is another great choice although it paled in comparison with the Sriracha one. This one is Pinoy-style—barbecued and cooked with Tanduay rum. Don’t be fooled by the chili toppings, this wasn’t spicy. I still think it’s worth a try!

photo credit: Splice Restobar

For mains, the Chicken Satay and Prawn Crackers is a good choice: three pieces of chicken skewers smothered with peanut sauce, served with prawn crackers (kropek) and your choice of rice. We tried it with the mildly sweet pandan rice, which came sprinkled with adobong mani. You can choose to have it with Italian rice or dirty rice.

BUT PLEASE. When you drop by, promise me you’ll get the 8-Hour Pork Belly Confit. This is, in simple, straightforward, honest-to-goodness words, the best pork belly I’ve had in a while. The meat just melts in your mouth, no exaggeration. The smoky and salty flavors blend well with the dirty rice, and are complemented perfectly by the balsamic vinaigrette. This is one dish I’m craving for until now.

photo credit: Splice Restobar

Splice offers a lot more entrees and even lunch sets for the hungry Greenfield crowd. There’s a decent Beef Stroganoff (PhP220), which, although a little ordinary, is hefty and satisfying. All-day lunch sets are also available for PhP180 each (with a free drink). Get the Grilled Pork Liempo! The menu depiction couldn’t have been more accurate: the dish needs to introduction, nor description.

Writing about food and trying to remember the things I ate in a particular restaurant always make me hungry while doing so, but somehow, the grumbles and roars were extra loud while writing about Splice. Maybe it’s because of the familiarity of the dishes, made extra special by thoughtful touches from the chef. Or maybe it’s because of the fond memories—enjoying cheap beer with the wings, guzzling on Bacardi-Coke as if it were pure Coke while savoring my pork belly. Whatever the reason is, all I know is that I’m coming back to Greenfield District very soon, and you can bet that I would be smoking and drinking on an outdoor table, enjoying no-fuss and no-shit food.